


Best Laid Plans

by TigraClaws



Category: Avengers
Genre: F/M, Sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:20:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27124412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigraClaws/pseuds/TigraClaws
Summary: Can the Hawkeyes break Mockingbird and Tigra's win record on the sparring field?
Relationships: Hawkeye/Mockingbird
Kudos: 4





	Best Laid Plans

“Ok. LIsten to me if you don’t want to end up in the infirmary for a week,” Clint started, and Kate had to give him a double take.

“What do you mean, we’ve got this.”

Clint just looked grim. She’d known Clint Barton for a while, and she’d never seen this side of him--a side that wasn’t utterly confident and cocky. She continued.

“Clint, we’re the two best archers in the world, and they agreed to a hundred yard starting distance. They won’t even--”

He cut her off. “Like I said, listen closely…”

***

It had started innocently enough.

Clint was reforming the West Coast Avengers, and she’d decided to visit him at the infamous compound. The past couple of weeks a work crew had been hard at it, cleaning up and preparing the grounds--a dozen luxury bungalow and several central buildings housing office space, utilities, computer lab, a gym, an Olympic swimming pool, spas, training facilities, even a hangar for the two quinjets the West Coast Branch were authorized. Dr. Henry Pym’s lab was closed and mothballed in one of the sub basements, and the whole complex sat on several thousand acres of scrubby pine forest, rocky cliffs, and beautiful open fields that abutted a quarter mile of premium beach. Stark had dropped a lot of money on this complex, she knew.

Clint was giving her the tour when they ran into Bobbi, gorgeous in a tasteful one piece bathing suit, sandals, a loose wrap, big floppy hat, and sunglasses. She was carrying two freshly made margaritas and after Clint gave her a quick kiss, they followed her to the pool, where Bobbi handed one of the drinks to Tigra, who was sunning herself next to it.

Kate hadn’t seen the cat woman since she’d spent time grown to Godzilla size, so she nervously chatted with her. She was nice enough, but Kate always had the sense she was being sized up by the woman’s feral eyes, not in a ‘catty’ way, but like an antelope walking in front of the lion’s cage. 

She was enjoying an ice cold beer when Clint made the fatal mistake, loudly bragging about some new custom arrows he’d requisitioned, saying it ‘elevated him to the next tier,’ when Bobbi said, “I’m sorry, sport. Are you suggesting the rest of us aren’t on your level?”

He had the sense to look chagrined for a half second, then replied, “well, you’re still using the same gear, right? You have to think about upgrading at some point, babe.”

Silence.

Bobbi’s smile was slow and wicked. “Oh, that sounded like you want a shot at the title…”

*** 

They’d paced off one hundred yards and Clint crouched, so Kate knelt down next to him to better hear what he was saying, he was whispering so softly.

“Ok, we need to do as much damage as possible in the first few seconds.”

“Why are you speaking so softly?” Kate blurted in a hiss.

He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I got you into this, shooting off my big mouth. Tigra can hear us. At this distance she can probably hear our heartbeats.”

“Seriously?” she asked, eyebrows shooting toward the sky.

“Yeah. Look, these two work together like you wouldn’t believe. They’re undefeated on this sparring field.”

“Ok, so what do we do?” Kate licked her lips, feeling the first tingles of excitement begin to spark.

“Ok, look, we’ll get one shot to start with. We need to lay down cover to try and contain or delay Greer.”

“It’s a hundred yards, Clint, I can fire faster than--”

He cut her off. “Oh, you’ll see. You might get two or three on Bobbi, she’s crazy fast though, she runs a 4.3 40 yard dash. She’s worked out with the 49ers. Greer, Jesus, she can cover the whole field in two seconds. Ok, couple rules here.” He ran a hand through his close cropped hair. “Don’t even try to hit Greer with anything on the ground. Literally your only chance of getting an arrow near her is to hit her when she’s in the air, mid pounce. Keep in mind she knows our arrow designs and can see what arrowhead is on the shaft in flight and react accordingly. I can’t stress it enough, Kate, her reaction time is nuts.”

“So, what do we…?” She began but he continued.

“Bobbi’s the tactician. She’ll use Greer like a fire and forget missile, give her parameters, and cut her loose. Greer’s strength is her instinct, she won’t think like us, she won’t hesitate. Bobbi is a chess player, she’ll have forty backup plans and just adjust them as it goes.”

“Man, why didn’t I bring America to this instead of you?” Kate grumbled and Clint flashed a grin.

“Don’t count on that working. These two have taken down Wonder Man. They just complement each other.”

“Ok ok, I’m suitably intimidated.”

“Good, now here’s the plan. Plant your flash bang arrow at the 50 yard line. I’ll put a hovering screamer fifteen yards shy of that. It won’t stop Greer, but she’ll avoid it if she can. We won’t try to put distance between us, we’ll actually move forward at double time, firing as we go.”

Kate nodded. “Who should I concentrate fire on?”

“I’ll pepper Bobbi. If she sees ‘em coming she won’t have any trouble dodging either, but she has to take the time to do it. I’ll draw Greer into a pounce, and when she goes up, hit her with the putty arrow.”

Kate nodded. “She won’t be happy about getting her fur all gummed up.”

“Nope, but it’s better than her sitting on you asking if you give up. That titanium net is a possibility too, but keep in mind, it will only slow her a few seconds--she can tear it apart.”

Kate mentally placed the arrows in her quiver and nodded grimly.

“Ok,” Clint said, “beyond that, stay out of hand to hand. Bobbi can trade shots with Cap and Greer makes Spider-Man seem slow, if they get close we’re probably done.”

***

Things didn’t go as planned, and Kate glared up at a smug Mockingbird straddling her, battle staves crossed over her throat, her bow snapped in half and tossed aside. She’d aimed a couple of punches and a kick and been soundly humiliated in a combination she was still trying to work out. 

A few yards away, Clint was face down, feet tangled in putty from the arrow Clint had tried on Tigra (who flipped upside down and caught it in mid flight,) with Tigra sitting on him.

“Sport, I think you’re slowing Kate down with your new tech,” Bobbi laughed.

Tigra was purring, her tail lashing the air. “Hawky, that was pretty good. That noisy arrow might have worked if you were a bit faster.”

Clint made his second fatal mistake of the day.

“Best two out of three!”

Kate groaned.


End file.
